--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have to compete within ourselves…" description: "\"We have to compete within ourselves relative to the determination it takes to be successful.\" — Nick Saban" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/nick-saban-2879_being-successful_we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-rela_2147187.jpg" --- # We have to compete within ourselves relative to the… ![“We have to compete within ourselves relative to the determination it takes to be successful.” quote by Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/nick-saban-2879_being-successful_we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-rela_2147187.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/nick-saban-2879_being-successful_we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-rela_2147187.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/nick-saban-2879_being-successful_we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-rela_2147187.jpg) > “We have to compete within ourselves relative to the determination it takes to be successful.” [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success depends on personal determination and competing with oneself rather than others. **In simple terms:** Self‑competition drives success. Key Takeaway Focus on inner drive. Themes determination self‑competition success Mood determined focused Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - sports training - career advancement - personal development Key Concepts psychology motivation goal setting Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure your own progress? - What fuels your determination? A Different Perspective External comparison can distract from personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) ## Related quotes > [Focus on the process of what it takes to be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/focus-on-the-process-of-what-it-takes-to-be-successful/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [“Remember how we forgot? Once upon a time, we were young Our dreams hung like apples Waiting to be picked and peeled And hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-l-koyczan/remember-how-we-forgot-once-upon-a-time-we-were-young-our-dreams-hung/) Shane L. Koyczan > [Even if you can sing or even if you can write a song, it takes a lot of determination, it takes some kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/even-if-you-can-sing-or-even-if-you-can-write-a-song-it-takes-a-lot/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [You have to have determination, and sometimes it takes sacrifice. You have to be willing to give what it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keyshia-cole/you-have-to-have-determination-and-sometimes-it-takes-sacrifice-you/) [Keyshia Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keyshia-cole/) > [“Life can be difficult at times and many questions have no answers. The determination it takes to go on and the resiliency required of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-simon-gunn/life-can-be-difficult-at-times-and-many-questions-have-no-answers-the/) [Jacqueline Simon Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-simon-gunn/) > [“To train the mind, you must exercise the patience and determination it takes to shape that steel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/to-train-the-mind-you-must-exercise-the-patience-and-determination-it/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [The longer it takes you to become successful, the harder it will be for somebody else to take it away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-jackman/the-longer-it-takes-you-to-become-successful-the-harder-it-will-be/) [Hugh Jackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-jackman/) > [I prefer to like the people I invest in, but it's not an absolute necessity, as long as they have a good mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-greiner/i-prefer-to-like-the-people-i-invest-in-but-it-s-not-an-absolute/) [Lori Greiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-greiner/) > [Do what you need to do, so that you can do what you want to do. Success and convenience do not go together. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-brown/do-what-you-need-to-do-so-that-you-can-do-what-you-want-to-do-success/) [Les Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-brown/) > [If you don't want yourself or your future family to struggle you have to do WHATEVER it takes to be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-you-don-t-want-yourself-or-your-future-family-to-struggle-you-have/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [It's all about patience and I'm sure my time will come. I'm learning what it takes to be successful and I'm doing the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavon-austin/it-s-all-about-patience-and-i-m-sure-my-time-will-come-i-m-learning/) [Tavon Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavon-austin/) > [To me, success in the job is setting a vision, guiding an organization through change - which is exactly what I did at Digitas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lang/to-me-success-in-the-job-is-setting-a-vision-guiding-an-organization/) [Laura Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lang/) > [If you ask any VC what it takes to be successful, you'll get a description that sounds a lot like himself. There's a preference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jurvetson/if-you-ask-any-vc-what-it-takes-to-be-successful-you-ll-get-a/) [Steve Jurvetson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jurvetson/) > [You know, kids need to feel like they're not being drowned out by superior competitors and they'll make that connection that, with a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/po-bronson/you-know-kids-need-to-feel-like-they-re-not-being-drowned-out-by/) [Po Bronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/po-bronson/) > [Elections, for their part, are typically popularity contests rather than measures of candidates' relative competency or effectiveness. Imagine if scientific truth were determined according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/elections-for-their-part-are-typically-popularity-contests-rather/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) ## More by Nick Saban > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-create-a-standard-for-how-we-want-to-do-things-and-everybody-s-got/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [What makes Freddy Krueger such a horrible character? What makes him scare you to death? You can't get rid of the guy. He never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-makes-freddy-krueger-such-a-horrible-character-what-makes-him/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I said as soon as we had a playoff, we were going to minimize the importance of all the other bowl games. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-said-as-soon-as-we-had-a-playoff-we-were-going-to-minimize-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Our goal is to work against things we have not seen that we will see in the near future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/our-goal-is-to-work-against-things-we-have-not-seen-that-we-will-see/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I've always been able to stay focused on trying to recruit good players and trying to develop those players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-ve-always-been-able-to-stay-focused-on-trying-to-recruit-good/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I think people always assume that every team has great intangibles, and that's not necessarily right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-people-always-assume-that-every-team-has-great-intangibles/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I think there's a certain pride people have in competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-there-s-a-certain-pride-people-have-in-competition/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Soccer is a continuous game, rugby is a continuous game, but for the physical elements that are involved in playing a football game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/soccer-is-a-continuous-game-rugby-is-a-continuous-game-but-for-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [You can't allow yourself to be vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/you-can-t-allow-yourself-to-be-vulnerable/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/there-are-two-pains-in-life-there-is-the-pain-of-discipline-and-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [As a coach, when it comes to football players, we're trying to change their behavior and make them better. As people, we're trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/as-a-coach-when-it-comes-to-football-players-we-re-trying-to-change/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [We're not going to talk about what we're going to accomplish, we're going to talk about how we're going to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-re-not-going-to-talk-about-what-we-re-going-to-accomplish-we-re/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I want what's best for people who want to improve the quality of their life. I hope whoever our leader is will do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-want-what-s-best-for-people-who-want-to-improve-the-quality-of/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [The thing that concerns me the most is when I hear that people are making a lot of money a lot of ways except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/the-thing-that-concerns-me-the-most-is-when-i-hear-that-people-are/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) [Explore all 147 Nick Saban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) ## More Being successful quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [You cannot be successful without passion. If you don't love what you're doing, if you don't have passion for it - forget it. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-cannot-be-successful-without-passion-if-you-don-t-love-what-you/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You can't not be a little different from others and be successful for three decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/you-can-t-not-be-a-little-different-from-others-and-be-successful-for/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Everyone has a breaking point, turning point, stress point, the game is permeated with it. The fans don't see it because we make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everyone-has-a-breaking-point-turning-point-stress-point-the-game-is/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [If you increase the number of rockets you build and you buy, then it's the scale of the economy, the price is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/if-you-increase-the-number-of-rockets-you-build-and-you-buy-then-it-s/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/hockey-is-a-unique-sport-in-the-sense-that-you-need-each-and-every/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [There has always been a display of wealth and always will be, until the depression comes, which it always does. And let me tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/there-has-always-been-a-display-of-wealth-and-always-will-be-until/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/i-think-there-is-a-big-and-significant-difference-between-being-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [There's nobody that wants the president to be successful more than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/there-s-nobody-that-wants-the-president-to-be-successful-more-than-i/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [Don't worry about your individual numbers. Worry about the team. If the team is successful, each of you will be successful, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/don-t-worry-about-your-individual-numbers-worry-about-the-team-if-the/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [We have to be successful at the cutting-edge industries of the future like Twitter. But we also have always been a country that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-have-to-be-successful-at-the-cutting-edge-industries-of-the-future/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Also, it's not the mathematical skill that's critical to winning, it's the discipline of being able to stick to the system. There are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-hull/also-it-s-not-the-mathematical-skill-that-s-critical-to-winning-it-s/) Blair Hull [Browse all 1,002 Being successful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have to compete within ourselves relative to the determination it takes to be successful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Saban" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-relative-to-the-determination-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being successful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-relative-to-the-determination-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/nick-saban-2879_being-successful_we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-rela_2147187.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/nick-saban-2879_being-successful_we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-rela_2147187.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/nick-saban-2879_being-successful_we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-rela_2147187.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have to compete within ourselves relative to the determination it takes to be successful.” — Nick Saban", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nick Saban", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have to compete within ourselves...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-relative-to-the-determination-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-have-to-compete-within-ourselves-relative-to-the-determination-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```